CHICAGO — Happy Monday! Here is what we are reading today.
Home sick? Chicago wasn't far from President Barack Obama's mind during his visit to Africa. In a speech in Kenya, the president said "corruption costs Kenyans 250,000 jobs every year — because every shilling that's paid as a bribe could be put into the pocket of somebody who's actually doing an honest day's work."
"My hometown of Chicago was infamous for Al Capone and the mob and organized crime corrupting law enforcement. But what happened was that over time people got fed up, and leaders stood up and they said, we're not going to play that game anymore." He also said being a community organizer here "taught me the importance of ordinary people when they come together to create a better vision for the future."
President Obama in Kenya. [White House/Pete Souza]
Should We Call Wicker Park's Main Drag The Crotch? Referencing a term for the Milwaukee, Damen and North Avenue intersection that was coined by the Reader ages ago, Time Out Chicago is making a case for bringing it back, arguing that the busy area "has effectively become Wrigleyville 2.0 in the past few years, and can be quite gross and smelly when you pass through it on a Saturday night. "
Wicker Park reporter Alisa Hauser, who has lived near the busy "Six Points" intersection for over a decade detests the crotch name and imagines other long time residents do, too. What do you think? Is The Crotch a better name than six corners (not to be confused with "the" Six Corners in Portage Park) or six points?
Ladies Stand Together: The New York Magazine cover story "I'm No Longer Afraid" recounts haunting experiences told by 35 women who said they were raped and/or drugged by Bill Cosby. While the scandal has gotten plenty of press coverage, few managed to humanize the victims as powerfully, reporter Ariel Cheung said. From the photography to digital presentation, the article portrays each woman individually, which makes it easier for the reader to feel the overwhelming power of their collective accusations. For more, check out the Twitter hashtag #TheEmptyChair.
Dirt Is OK for Kids ... Whew: Senior Editor Justin Breen was watching his 1-year-old when he (the baby) started eating dirt off the ground. A panicked Breen got the dirt out of his boy's mouth as soon as possible, but it sounds like eating dirt isn't so bad after all, at least according to a Time magazine article from 2014. The story cites a study from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, which states that kids who are exposed to "unsavory things like rodent and pet dander, roach allergens and household bacteria during their first year are actually less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma."
Finding Relief Atop The 606: Tribune columnist Mary Schmich visited the Bloomingdale Trail on a sunny July morning to see who was hanging out there. Schmich interviewed a group of young joggers free of fancy Fitbits and pricey workout clothes, one of whom described the 2.7-mile-long elevated trail as a healthy "relief." Calling the word choice "absolutely right," Schmich said. Relief, according to one dictionary, is "a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress." Relief is one consequence of exercise, and as important to health as muscle tone. Read her entire account here.
Moses, a Humboldt Park resident, before a morning jog on the trail. (DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser)
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